


a little taang fic

by Velocibirb



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, F/M, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Not Beta Read, Unrequited Love, i dunno how else to tag this, toph says fuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25029361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velocibirb/pseuds/Velocibirb
Summary: Aang might have saved the world three months ago, but he's still just a twelve-year-old boy.Rejected by Katara, Aang finds himself keeping to himself, trying to run away from his feelings. Little does he know that a certain Earthbender knows just how he feels, having been rejected by the elder Water Tribe sibling. The two of them might have more than that in common; their youth, their strength, and perhaps something new will blossom...Rated “T” for language.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (one-sided), Aang/Toph Beifong, Toph Beifong/Sokka (one-sided), implied Azula/Katara, mentioned Sokka/Suki
Comments: 15
Kudos: 114





	a little taang fic

**Author's Note:**

> _Give it up man, understand that it's not your fault  
>  They've given you a rock for a heart  
> Put down those guns you can just let those tears fall  
> The toughest man ain't no man, after all_  
> -ANIMA!, Toughest Man.

Aang might have saved the world, but he was still just a twelve-year-old boy at heart. It wasn’t often he had much time to himself these days, between all the time he spent in meetings with Sokka and Zuko, putting his Earthbending to good use fixing up all the damage that’d been done during the war, and his Avatar duties between the nations of the world. It was a far cry from his playful days with the Air Nomads, where even among his work, he’d found time to play. Now, though, even his days off gave him no relief, no matter how he tried.

He wandered aimlessly down the beach in front of the Fire Lord’s beach house. It was a lovely change of pace from the Fire Nation capital and the hustle and bustle of Ba Sing Se, but not even the peace and quiet of the gentle waves could calm his mind. He kicked at some sand, extending his will in an attempt to Earthbend it, but it fell to the ground like… Well, like sand through his fingers. Toph had said Sandbending was hard, after all, so he tried not to feel too bad about it, but it still chewed at the back of his mind. Just like…

No. He was _not_ going to think about that right now. About her.

Aang shook his head, clapping his hands against his cheeks a couple times for good measure. This was his day off! No _way_ was he gonna think about his… The whole _whatever._ He kicked up some sand with a bare foot again, fists clenched as he tried to bend it higher. When the sand shot upward, he felt his heart soar, but all too quickly the Avatar realized he’d defaulted back to his native Airbending, blowing the sand around in his irritation. He hung his head, running a hand through short brown curls, digging his toes further into the sand.

Giving up on Sandbending for the time being left a bitter taste in Aang’s mouth, but it didn’t last long. He knew he’d improve once he put the hours in, but the idea of practicing for so long for marginal improvement didn’t exactly strike him as a fun way to spend his day off. Sighing, he sat cross legged on the sand, still cool with the early morning sun.

Aang’s attempts at meditation were, just like his Sandbending practice, also ultimately fruitless. No matter how he tried to quiet his mind, focus on his breathing, and let his thoughts come and go like the waves before him, he found himself circling back to-- _nope, not gonna think about that. Anything but that._ Aang took a deep breath. _Time to relax. Let my thoughts pass. As long as it’s not about Katara, it’s good._

Of course, trying not to think of something was as useless as trying not to breathe. Aang cracked open his eyes, squinting at the sparkling sea in front of him, and let his worries flow over him.

He knew he should really talk to someone about it. Letting his feelings fester inside of him was a recipe for disaster, clogging up his heart like a plugged-up pore, and while Aang was still blessedly free of acne, his anxiety and the looming threat of puberty on the horizon promised to change that.

Under normal circumstances, Katara would be the first person he’d go to, but for rather obvious reasons, she wasn’t exactly an option right now. 

He hadn’t been avoiding her, per se, but the sight of her still sent a pang through his chest. She’d broken his heart in the gentlest, Katara-est way possible, but even so, it had still hurt. Honestly, Aang was still a little mad at himself for the feelings he felt for her. By all rights, he should’ve gotten over her ages ago, and spirits knew he had plenty of chances. She’d turned him down in no uncertain terms after the play on Ember Island, and when he’d unblocked his chakra to enter the Avatar State and take down Ozai, he figured he’d finally gotten over her, finally untethered himself from all of his attachments, and the Avatar state was proof. Then she’d gone and kissed him and he’d fallen right back into old habits. For one brief moment, he’d thought she liked him back, only for reality to come crashing back down on him. He’d saved the world. Heroes get kisses. That’s just how it worked. Didn’t mean Katara felt the same way towards him as he did her.

“This sucks,” Aang muttered to himself, flipping onto his stomach. A bit of sand somehow found its way into his mouth, and he gagged. 

It wasn’t like he was expecting to get the girl just because he saved the world, but saying he hadn’t hoped for such a situation would’ve been so obvious one wouldn’t need Toph’s seismic sense to tell it was a lie.

His first instinct (after going to Katara, of course) was to go to Sokka, but he’d quickly ruled that out. No matter how surprisingly wise the older boy could be, there were _way_ too many reasons not to open that can of early bird-worms. Even discounting the fact that he was Katara’s older brother, and thus naturally protective of her, Aang knew enough to know that Sokka understood women no better than Aang knew Sandbending. Any words of advice he could give him would be wrapped up in his head-over-heels adoration of Suki, and hearing anything about their happy coupling would just leave Aang worse than when he started.

He’d briefly considered talking to Zuko about it. _Briefly._ The new Fire Lord already had enough on his plate, and besides that, he had enough troubles managing his own emotions. On top of that, he and Katara had been mistaken for a couple on multiple occasions, and Aang figured staying away from that tension would probably be best for his health.

Ultimately, he knew going to Iroh would be his best bet, but the old man was in Ba Sing Se at the Jasmine Dragon. Even if the long flight wasn’t a pain, talking about his feelings certainly would be, and Aang didn’t want to spend his day off like that.

Aang was beginning to seriously consider asking Azula to teach him how to repress his emotions like she did or if he should just bury himself in the sand when he heard the sound of short, surefooted strides across the sand.

“Hey there, Twinkle Toes,” Toph called out, plopping down next to him with a _thwump._

“Sifu Toph,” Aang said, nodding his head in a poor approximation of a bow.

“I’m not training you today,” Toph said. Her voice was cool, matter-of-fact. It always was. “But you can call me Miss Beifong, if you wanna.”

“I think I’ll stick to Toph,” Aang said. He rolled onto his back, propping his head up on his arms. “What’s up?”

“I was bored,” Toph said. “Sokka’s sucking face with Suki, and Zuko and Katara are back in the capital. You’re more fun to mess with than Momo, so I figured I’d find you.”

Aang chuckled. “You’ve found me. How’re you planning on messing with me?”

“Do you really wanna know?” Toph flashed him a devilish grin.

“On second thought, I think I’ll just go back to listening to the waves, if you don’t mind.”

“Aww, come on,” Toph said. “It’s not like me fucking with you is gonna make you feel any worse.”

“Toph!” Aang flinched. He was never one for cursing, and until recently, it hadn’t been a problem. Before Zuko had arrived to teach Aang Firebending a little over three months ago, Toph had still been innocent enough that she didn’t know the words to get under Aang’s skin. But Zuko, fresh from three years with sailors, had accidentally introduced Toph to a whole new world of profanity. The foul words still sounded strange to Aang in Toph’s prepubescent voice, no matter how used to her language he got. 

“You’re so fun to tease.” Toph slugged his shoulder. “And it’s so easy, too.”

Aang blushed to the tips of his ears. “So, uh, you said…?”

Toph cocked her head. “What, that I know you’re feeling like sh- like, uh, like Zuko? All angsty and stuff? It’s not hard to see, even though everything’s blurry through the sand.”

“I… yeah,” Aang admitted. “It’s not your problem, though, it’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing to you.” Toph shrugged. “C’mon. Talk to me. Brooding doesn’t look good on you.”

“How would you know how it looks?”

Toph rolled her eyes.

Aang sighed. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me,” Toph said. “We’ve got more in common than you think, y’know.”

“How so?”

“We both know what it’s like being babied,” Toph said. She sat back on her hands, rolling her neck. “You’re the Avatar. I’m the greatest Earthbender in the world. Everyone still treats us like we’re kids.”

“We _are_ kids.”

“You know what I mean,” Toph said, scowling. “Remember how my parents treated me? Like I was a delicate little flower?”

“I remember,” Aang said. “But I don’t think I’m being babied. Certainly not like you were. I have all my Avatar duties to keep up, and just because we saved the world doesn’t mean I get to take a break.”

Toph blew a hair out of her face. “Not what I mean, Twinkle Toes.”

Aang frowned. 

Toph could feel it through the sand, apparently, because she explained herself. “Everyone still talks down to the two of us, even though we could kick their butts at any time. You’re the Avatar, you’re stronger than anyone but me, and the grown-ups still talk down to you like you’re any other kid.”

Aang shrugged as best he could with his hands behind his head, against the cool sand. “I mean, it’s not like-”

“They don’t even _swear_ around you. _Or_ me. Zuko’s the only reason I know _how_ at all, because even at the Earth Rumbles they still treated me like a little blind girl, and you’re a wholesome little boy with a heart of gold, uncorrupted by this cruel, cruel world.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“It _is_ a bad thing,” Toph snapped. “Even Zuko treats me like I’m his little sister instead of someone who could beat him up.”

“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t treat you like Azula, Toph.”

“Ugh!” Toph groaned. “You know what I mean. _You_ sure don’t like being treated like Katara’s little brother.”

Aang prickled. He turned his head away from Toph, trying to hide the pinkness in his cheeks, but Toph’s seismic sense saw straight through him.

“I know how you feel,” Toph said, her voice uncharacteristically gentle.

“No, you don’t,” Aang sighed. “I don’t want to deal with my feelings for Katara right now-”

“So _that’s_ why you’re all mopey!” Toph burst out. “And you didn’t want to talk about it? To _me?_ Twinkle Toes, I’m the only one who understands exactly how you feel right now!”

Aang let out a small “hmph.”

“Wait, do you not know?”

“Know what?”

“Y’know,” Toph said, shrugging. “About the crush I had on Sokka?”

“You _what?”_

Toph guffawed, flopping onto her back. “Oh, man, you really didn’t know? I wasn’t exactly good at hiding it.”

Aang blushed. “Toph, why would I know?”

“I dunno. People tend to know that sort of thing. Gossip.”

“So, uh,” Aang said, sitting up. He put a hand against the back of his neck. “We both have- have had crushes on the Water Tribe siblings?”

“Sounds like it,” Toph said. “I never _confessed_ to Sokka like you did, but he never seemed to like me back. I think he once said I was like a little sister to him, or something.”

“I, um, I still can’t get over that you had a crush on Sokka.”

“It’s not _that_ unbelievable.” Toph rolled her eyes. “It’s just that he’s kinda too old for me, I guess. It’s not fair.”

“I mean, he is the oldest of us,” Aang said, “and that does hold some weight. It helped us out a lot when we were travelling, it gave him some authority-”

“It shouldn’t have! That’s my whole point!” Toph cracked her knuckles in irritation, bending a pillow of sand to rest her head upon. Aang briefly wondered just how long it would take to comb it all out of her hair. “You _know_ Sokka. Would you really say he’s _that_ much more mature than the rest of us?”

“Kinda?”

“Maybe it’s just me,” Toph said. “Girls do mature faster than boys, after all. That’s probably why Katara thinks you’re too young for her, even though you’re mature enough to handle the responsibility of being the Avatar.”

“Wait.” Aang’s head was spinning. “Say that again, but slower?”

“What? Girls mature faster than boys, so-”

“Katara thinks I’m too young for her?” Aang grimaced. His brain finally caught up to his mouth. “Did she say something to you? When did this happen? I’m only two years younger than her, I should-”

“Do you see what I mean about being babied by everyone now, Twinkle Toes?” Toph said dryly. 

Aang’s mouth was dry. “Why didn’t she just _tell_ me-”

“She never told me outright,” Toph explained. “But it’s kind of obvious, don’t you think? It’s just like me and Sokka.”

“Sokka’s even older than Katara.” Aang crossed his arms. “Katara’s not _that_ much older than-”

“Girls mature faster than boys, remember?”

“Hmph.” Aang crossed his arms. “I’m mature, though. I’m the Avatar. I’ve saved the world. That’s gotta count for something, right?”

“You don’t say ‘fuck’ at all,” Toph said. Aang flinched. “Get back to her when your voice’s dropped, maybe she’ll pay attention to you then.”

Aang pursed his lips. He wanted to growl, to tell Toph off, to prove her wrong somehow, but nothing came to mind. Maybe she was right.

“F-frick you,” Aang managed to get out, but Toph only laughed. “Do you see why I didn’t want to talk to you about this now?”

“I do,” Toph admitted. “But I’m glad you’re getting it out of your system. Wouldn’t you rather be mad that things are the way they are instead of sad that Katara doesn’t like you how you like her, and you don’t know why?”

“...Yeah.”

“There. That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Toph smirked, but there was a hint of sympathy in the curve of her lips. “This is why you suck at Earthbending. You never want to face things head-on and power through. You always dance around everything, Twinkle Toes.”

“Thanks, Sifu Toph,” Aang deadpanned.

“Oh, hush,” Toph said, gently patting Aang’s knee. “I know you’re brave. You just don’t act like it sometimes.”

Aang lay down beside her, cushioning his head on a small ball of compressed air. “You’re really good with this whole ‘tough love’ thing, huh?”

“You know it,” Toph said. Her blank eyes stared up at the clear blue sky. “Love is always tough.”

“Agreed.” Aang rolled onto his side. He had a perfect view of Toph’s profile. “I guess I don’t really know what it means to date somebody, anyways.”

Toph hummed in approval.

“I guess I should’ve thought about it more, considering, uh, y’know,” Aang said. “I mean, I’ve kissed Katara, but I don’t know if I’d want to kiss her like Sokka and Suki kiss each other. Do you… Do you get what I’m saying?”

“I think so,” Toph said. “I don’t think if I were dating somebody I’d want to act like my parents.”

“Sokka’s not my dad!”

“I know!” Toph laughed. “That’s not what I meant, you moron. I was thinking about my _actual parents._ ”

“Oh.” Aang didn’t quite know how to respond.

“I don’t think they really love each other, though,” Toph added, as though Aang had never misunderstood her in the first place. “They’re nobles. I’m sure once I was old enough they probably would’ve tried to marry me off to some rich Earthbender boy to make the family richer.”

“Really? Wow, I had no idea.”

“You know it,” Toph said. “Nothing like pairing up your daughter with another Earthbender so you can make sure to have lots and lots of Earthbender grandkids.”

“I…” Aang trailed off. “I kinda forgot people got married to have kids.”

Toph snorted. “Really, Twinkle Toes? That’s, like, half the reason people get married at all! Someday, Sokka and Suki are gonna have a kid on the way and then they’re gonna get married and be a happy little family, and I can be Aunt Toph, cooler and stronger than Aunt Katara, and I’ll buy their kid a bunch of toys with the Beifong fortune.”

Aang was stunned for several moments. “You’ve really thought this out, haven’t you?”

Toph shrugged. “It’s the next best thing to having Sokka’s babies myself, since that’s not gonna happen.”

“You _what?”_

Toph giggled. “C’mon, don’t tell me you never thought about having kids with Katara, huh? That’s, like, _the_ thing you do when you have a crush.”

“Maybe for _girls,”_ Aang said, sticking out his tongue, but his mind was racing. He’d really never considered it. Were his feelings not as strong as he’d thought? 

Toph laughed. “Come on, Sugar Queen’s already team mom anyways. Don’t tell me you really never thought about her being an _actual_ mom?”

“I guess I just forgot that everyone’s going to go off and start families,” Aang said.

“Moron,” Toph said, but Aang could hear the affection in her voice.

“I wonder what they’d look like if we had kids,” Aang said, absentmindedly. 

“Oh, wow,” Toph said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I didn’t know you saw me like that.”

Aang’s ears pinkened. “What? No! Toph, I was just-”

“Aww, is _somebody_ embarrassed?” Toph’s smirk was _insufferable._ “Don’t worry, you’re far from the only one who’s fallen for the greatest Earthbender in the world.”

Something flared up in Aang’s chest he couldn’t quite identify. His face still red, Aang raised an eyebrow, trying to match the smug expression on Toph’s face. “So who do I have to fight for hand in marriage, Lady Beifong?”

“Hah!” Toph guffawed, sitting up to slap her knee. Aang laughed with her, the blush fading from his cheeks. Once their laughter had died down, Toph scratched her head, a few loose particles of sand drifting to the ground. “The line’s actually not all that long just yet, but I’m still young.” Before Aang could quip in return, she continued. “I’m sure you’ve got yourself quite a long line of suitors by now, being the Avatar ‘n all.”

Her words gave Aang pause. She sounded almost wistful.

But Aang, stupidly, shrugged his shoulders. “I dunno about that. The one girl I wanted doesn’t want me back, so what good is it being the Avatar?”

“Hmph.”

“What?”

“I don’t know,” Toph snapped. “I wanted you to say… I dunno what I wanted you to say. Not that, at least.”

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s whatever,” Toph said, flicking her wrist. “Besides, even if it’s not love, I’m sure there’s a buncha women who’d wanna have the next generation of Airbenders as their kids.”

“I don’t-”

“Ooh, flustered?” Toph grinned. “Come _on,_ don’t you wanna think about how everyone’s gonna want a piece of the last Airbender?”

“I don’t like thinking about that,” Aang said, clenching his jaw. “Stop it.”

“Why don’t ya?” Toph asked, lazily scratching her head again. “So many women are gonna want you, and you won’t really have to choose or anything.”

“I don’t want to think about it for a lot of reasons, okay?” Aang curled himself into a ball. “I don’t… I don’t want to be with a lot of different women, and I don’t like thinking about the fact I’m the last Airbender.”

“Oh,” Toph said. And then, remarkably, she hugged him. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” Aang could hardly believe his ears.

“Don’t get used to it,” Toph muttered, but Aang could see the blush across her cheeks. She’d pulled away, out of their hug, but her calloused hands still held his shoulders gently. 

“I won’t, I promise,” Aang chuckled. He tapped his fist against Toph’s shoulder in a gentle facsimile of her affectionate punches. 

Toph stuck her nose in the air, but said nothing. Aang pulled away gently, still grinning like an idiot, and sat down on his knees, beaming at Toph. 

“So, uh, anyways,” Toph said, pinching the pinkened bridge of her nose. “Don’t worry about having kids just yet. Love is for older people, anyway.”

Aang’s smile fell. 

“Don’t be sad about it, Twinkle Toes,” Toph shrugged. “When you’re older, maybe Sugar Queen’ll finally be sweet on you, if she’s not dealing with her love/hate thing with Azula.”

“Azula?!”

“C’mon, don’t tell me you can’t see it!” Toph grinned. “Look at how much they have in common! They’re the same age, for starters. They both have adorable idiot older brothers much less powerful than they are, they’ve both threatened to kill Sparky, and besides, water conducts electricity pretty well.”

“But- but-” Aang spluttered. “Azula _hates_ Katara! There’s no way-”

“Are you sure she doesn’t respect her on some level?” Toph said, cocking her head. “After all, Katara’s basically the only person who’s ever beaten her in a fight, from what I’ve heard.” Toph brushed some more sand out of her hair. “I bet Sugar Queen can’t stay mad at her forever. She’s probably gonna wind up helping Azula deal with her mental breakdown with magical healing water or something and then they’re gonna kiss and adopt a baby that can bend lightning.”

“How did you even come up with an idea like that?”

“Katara told me she likes girls, and Azula’s pretty hot, no Firebending pun intended.”

“Pun _absolutely_ intended, Toph. You can’t lie to me.”

Toph snorted. “They’ve already argue like they’re married already. You can’t tell me they wouldn’t make a good couple.”

“I could too.”

“Yeah, but you’d be wrong.”

Aang huffed. “I guess I never really had a chance to begin with, huh?”

Toph shrugged. “Don’t be so sure. I think Sugar Queen likes guys too, I dunno. Who knows? Maybe when we’re older and figuring stuff out, maybe you’ll realize you like guys too, or I’ll like girls. Love is for older people, remember?”

“I…” Aang couldn’t meet Toph’s eyes, not that she was looking at him with them, anyways. “I want to know what love is like. I don’t want to wait until I’m older.”

Toph cocked her head, eyebrows knit.

“I just… Everyone else is falling in love. We’ve been through so much, but I still feel so naïve.” Aang rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “What if when I’m older I don’t know what I’m doing and I break someone’s heart? What if I’m a bad boyfriend, or something?” He sighed, staring at the sand underneath his knees. “I just want to know what it feels like to be in love…”

It took Aang’s brain a second to catch up to reality. He was bombarded with sensations: Toph’s bangs brushing against his nose, her strong hands holding his shoulders steady, the flutter of her eyelashes, and most overwhelming and unexpected of them all, Toph’s soft lips pressed gently against his own.

She pulled away rather quickly, hiding her face in her hair, more shy than Aang had ever seen her before. “We could, uh,” Toph started. She swallowed, clenching and unclenching her fists in Aang’s robe, and clears her throat. “The two of us could try it out together, if you’re okay with that.”

Aang’s heart melted in his chest. 

He could feel the heat rushing to his dumbstruck, grinning face. He could feel his pulse like he was redirecting lightning through his veins, feel the burning in his stomach. He looked at Toph, _really_ looked at her for the first time ever, and a million thoughts in his head shattered and reformed. He almost felt like crying. Toph, _his_ Toph, cute and strong and brave, loved him for who he was, and she’d been right in front of him all along.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to, with me, I mean,” Toph said, dropping her hands in her lap. They fidgeted, bending the sand stuck to her palms. “It’s not like I, uh-”

“Of course I would!” Aang shouted, pulling the two of them to their feet. He pulled Toph into a tight hug, beaming more brightly than he had when he’d finally saved the world. “Whoopie!” He spun into the air, carrying Toph with him, and while she was startled and cried out, soon enough, they were laughing together and kissing once again as they drift back to the ground.

“So what now?” Aang asked, eyes wide.

“I dunno,” Toph snarked. “Maybe have some Airbending babies?”

Aang laughed. “Maybe when we’re older.”

“Then we’ll figure things out,” Toph shrugged. “We’ve got plenty of time.”

“Do you want to go inside?” Aang asked, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice. “We could cuddle on the couch, if you want, I mean, if that’s something you’d wanna do-”

“I’d love that,” Toph admitted, taking his hand.

“Yay!” Aang squeaked. Hand in hand, the two of them started the walk back up the beach. He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back, almost too hard, but that was Toph for him, all rough edges and hard angles and tough love.

“If you’re willing,” Toph asked, her voice unusually timid. “I’d really like it if you could massage my feet…?”

Aang laughed. 

Toph blushed. “I’m serious, Twi… Aang, you’re the only person I trust with my ‘eyes’ like that.”

“Really?”

Toph nodded, but with her face hidden in her hair, pointed away from his, it was a little hard to tell.

Aang giggled. “I’m flattered, but Toph, I don’t think you can trust me not to tickle your feet.”

“Try it, Twinkle Toes!” Toph guffawed. Then, in a serious, hushed tone, she continued: “if you tickle me, I will encase you in metal for as long as I feel like it.”

Aang’s smile didn’t waver. “Noted.”

“You might be the Avatar, but I’m the greatest Earthbender of _all time,_ Twinkle Toes. Even though you can bend all four elements, I’m still the only Metalbender there is.”

“Looks like I’ve met my match,” Aang said, bowing his head. “In more ways than one, Sifu Toph.”

Toph chuckled, wrapping her arm around Aang’s waist. “I love you, you moron.”

“I love you too, Toph Beifong.”

**Author's Note:**

> Aang: "Toph Beifong, more like Toph BAEfong!"  
> Toph: "Why the fuck do I love you?!"


End file.
